Child&#39;s portable tray



.Sept. 20, 1932.

T. E. L ANE ET AL- CHILDS PORTABLE TRAY Filed June 29, 1931 INVENTORS 7710",:- f'. Lane Patented Set. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS E. LANE, or DETROIT, AND CHARLES H. wELcH, JR, or iammmom, MICH- IoAN, ASSIGNOBS T FRED SANDERS, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN onxmrs PORTABLE TRAY Application filed June 29,

i above character which, when mounted upon a counter or the like, serves as a small table for children: to provide a portable metal tray of inexpensive construction, whlch 1s l1ght in weight and has non-rusting characteristics; to provide a novel means for securing a portable tray upon a supporting member such as a table or store counter; and to provlde a portable tray which can be readily folded into small and compact form.

I The above being among the objects of the present inventiomthe same consists of certain features of construction and combination of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing and then claims, having the above and other objects in new In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the present invention, and in which like numerals refer to like parts through the several different views;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tray constructed according to one form of the invention and which is shown mounted on a store counter or the like.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the tray shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tray after it has been folded into compact form.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 44.- of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 55 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of a tray supporting arm 1931. Serial No. 547,062.

around restaurants, soda fountains and the like where the tables and counters are usually of such height above the seats or chairs as to render it difiicult for a child to serve itself with food or refreshments. Hence a tray which is or may be suspended from a table, counter or the like to a point substantially below the surface of the table or counter makes it much easier to serve children in restaurants, and other similar establishments. Also, a tray of this general character suspended from a supporting member may be employed for displaying various forms of merchandise, such as candy and the like.

As shown in Fig. 1 a counter 10 is provided with a horizontal top 11, having laterally projecting edges 12 and 13 on opposite sides of the counter, and which supports a tray 14, as will hereinafter be described. The tray 14 may be formed from any relatively thin material but preferably from material generally known as Monel metal, be-

cause of its durability and its rust resisting qualities and is provided, as shown in Figure 2, with a horizontally disposed article retaining plate member 15. The latter is integrally or otherwise secured to an upwardly extending back plate 16, extending at right angles to the member 15.

As it is desired to provide a tray of light weight and yet provide a tray of substantial rigidity, the back plate 16 and the element 15 are braced and supported by a pair of members 17 formed integral therewith and While the tray may be em-.

which extend from the side edges of the back plate forwardly a substantial distance along the side edges of the plate 15. In addition to the edge supports 17 a relatively thin angle plate 18 is provided, the arms of which are secured to the bottom and rear sides of the p of substantially the same length as members and 16 respectively. A late 212 plate 16 is pivotally secured to the upper edge of the latter b means of hinge elements 21. A strap assem ly 22 centrally dis (1 with respect to the member 20 and rigi y secured thereto is disposed at right angles to the hinge'for the purpose ofsecuringthe tray to the counter 11. In this connection the assembly 22 terminates at its free end in a downwardly and reversely bent ortion 23 which forms a hook to embrace t e edge 13 of the to: 11. To materially assist 1n mamtaining t plate 16 and has one flange thereof disosed at right angles to the plate. This ange25 is so ositioned that the distance between it and tlie plate 20 is substantially the same as the thickness of the flan e 12 of the counter top 11, when mounts on the counter.

As shown in Fig, 1, insecuring the tray to the counter, the hook'23 is engaged with the edge 13, with the strap assem ly 22 disposed in contacting relation with the to 11, and the back plate 16 disposed substantially as shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 5, after which the tray is swung downwardly about its hinge 21 toward the counter and the flange 25 enga ed with the under side of the edge 12, thus rmly securing the tray on the counter top 11 as shown in full lines in Figs. 1-5.

In addition to the clamping action effected by the channel formed from the members 20 and 24 a clamping action may' also be efiected by engagement of either the angle 24 adjacent the rear of the portion 16 with the outer surface of the projecting ortion 12 or else by the engagement of the ange 25 with the under side of said projecting portion. Moreover the tray is so constructed thatthe weight of any article placed on the portion 15 or any pressure exerted against the tray by a child when in use, increases the clamping action of the channel formed by the elements 20 and 24.

It will be noted that the channel formed by the members 20 and 25 is identical to the sha e of the hook 23 and is movable toward om the edge 12 of the top 11 so that it only requires an upward movement of the tray about its hinge joint from the top for removing the tray from the counter.

To provide a tray that may be folded into compact form, as shown in Fig. 3, the strap assembly 22 may consist of portions 27 and 28 pivotally secured together by means of hinge elements 29. In providing the hinge elements 29 it is preferable that the end edges of the strap portions 27 and 28 abut as indicated at 31 when the strap uniformly contacts with the counter top, for the purpose of providing a relatively rigid strap meme tra-y on the counter an angle arm. 24 is secured to the rear side of the back her when it is disposed in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the front of the rtion 15 may be providedwith an inwar y curved edge 32 adapted to conform to; the curvature of a childs body thus permlttlng the tray to be disposed in close relation with respect to the child. Also, as shown in the drawing, themember 15 ma be provlded with an upwardl extending ecl e flange 33 extending along. t e sides and rout of the member 15 for preventin food and the like from being inadvertent y removed or spilled therefrom.

It will be understood that the strap elements 27 and 28 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are provided for use on tables and counters of uniform width, and that to permit the employment of the tray in combination with tables and counters of various widths and extensible strap construction'34, as shown in F 1g. 6, or its (equivalent, ma be provided. The strap construction 34 inc udes a portion 35 similar to the portion 28, previously described, having a stud 36 which extends through an elongated slot 37 of a strap portion 38 slidably disposed on the portion 35, 'with the outer end thereof terminating in a hook 53. The strap portions 35 and 38 are maintained in the desired position by means of a wing nut 39 threaded on the stud 36 which clamps the two parts together in longitudinally adjusted position.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that we have provided a ortable tra adapted to be employed asa table for sma children in'which the tray cooperates with a'table or counter as a means for'supporting the same, thus providing a tray that is disposed within easy reach of a small child.

Moreover, as a result of the structural features and combination of parts as described above, a tray is provided which may be readily secured to or removed from a table or counter and the' tray may be collapsed into a compact form whlch requires a very small space for its storage. It is also apparent that ticularly illustrative embodiment of our invention, various modifications may be made in the same, and in the various features of construction, without materially changing the invention therein, and formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit or substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A portable tray including a substantially horizontal plate adapted to be disposed below the top of a counter, an upwardly extending arm secured to the plate, a laterally extending arm pivotally connected to the upper end of the first mentioned arm, and means on the last mentioned arm for releasable connection with said counter.

2. A portable tray including a substantially horizontal plate adapted to be disposed below the top of a counter, an upwardly extendin arm secured to the plate, a laterally exten ing arm pivotall connected to the upper end of the first mentloned arm, and a hook on one of the arms for engaging an edge portion of the counter.

3. A portable tray includin a substantially horizontal plate adapted to be disposed below the plane of a counter, an arm extending upwardly from the rear of said plate, a laterally extending arm ivotally mounted on the upper end of the rst mentioned arm, the last mentioned arm including a hook at the free end thereof for engagement over an edge of the counter, and a laterally extending flange projecting from the first mentioned arm, said flan e co-acting with the last mentioned arm to orm a channel member cooperating with said hook for releasably securing the tray to the counter.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signature.

THOMAS E. LANE.

CHARLES H. WELCH, JR. 

